Late Wednesday night a Senate spokesman said that discussion of the issue wouldn’t begin until Thursday at the earliest.

Earlier in the day you could hear the sound ringing throughout the state capital — pro and con chanting from both sides of the same-sex marriage debate. By Wednesday night senators seemed to be tuning out pleas to make a decision one way or the other.

“Not that you know it’s going to succeed because you never know until the vote is actually cast, but we reached a point, a threshold where we believe there was a high likelihood of success,” Cuomo said.

The pressure on Senate Republicans is incredible. Most of them run with support from the small but influential Conservative Party. Chairman Mike Long has been urging them not to bring this bill up for a vote.

In quick order, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Washington D.C. approved gay marriage, but then Maryland, New Jersey and Rhode Island all rejected it.

“We think it’s a bellwether state, and I think what happens in New York will impact across the nation,” gay marriage opponent Jason McGuire said.

McGuire said it would be wrong for the state Senate to vote on gay marriage without holding public hearings.

“Before we rush to make a decision like this we ought to at least hold hearings and look at the evidence that’s presented,” McGuire said.

“My wife, Cary, and I did get married in Vermont two years ago, and it’s about time that we had the same rights here in New York. This is where we live, where we pay taxes. That’s why we’re here,” supporter Patty Lloyd-Preddice said.

New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn described the issue as being in “the home stretch” of what she believes will be a successful attempt to legalize same-sex marriage.

“The effort to move human rights forward is never easy and often it takes longer than those of who are engaged in the battle would like it to take,” said Quinn. “But when this bill passes, it is going to be a monumental step forward but it’s going to be a monumental step forward that was brought to us by every day New Yorkers.”

Quinn praised the efforts of phone bank workers who have directed tens of thousands of calls to state Senate offices.

All of the Democratic senators are on board with the bill, except for Rev. Ruben Diaz of the Bronx.

“There are a lot of people in the State of New York that are against gay marriage. And the legislators have told the senate, people are saying, ‘Reverend Diaz, Reverend Diaz.’ This is not Reverend Diaz’ issue. This is the people’s issue. And they have the same right to protest and the same rights as anybody else,” Diaz said.

Lawmakers are also trying to wrap up work on bills to extend rent control in New York City, and the so-called “property tax cap.”

For or against same-sex marriage in New York? Contact Dean Skelos and let him know. And let us know what you think below.